Exam 2 Flashcards
spatial or temporal dimension of an object or
process, varies based on the unit of analysis
scale
maps…
simplify reality to communicate info
the type and amount of information depends upon:
scale of analysis type of map observations and data used decisions of the cartographer what the map is being used for
processes and forms operate over different
spatial and temporal scales
Entirety of an object’s influence, everything it has potential to influence
domain
Measurable nature of the observation
Ex: Spatial habitat range, seasonal productivit
dimension of observation
finest level of resolution, minimum or maximum mapping unit
grain
high resolution, more detail
fine grained
low resolution, less detail
coarse grained
size of study unit or length of time under
consideration
extent
covers vast area or long period
time
large or longterm
covers smaller area or shorter
time
small or short term
level of spatial (or temporal) resolution at which an object or process has been measured or observed.
grain
spatial (or
temporal) dimension
of an object or
process
extent
rules for ecological scale: patterns are dependent upon
the scale of observation
rules for ecological scale: patterns are generated by
processes acting over various temporal and spatial scales
rules for ecological scales: statistical relationships may
change as scale changes
rules for ecological scale: scale can be used to
justify or refute certain management practices and ideas about nature
all the elements in a landscape
composition
Arrangement of the spatial elements of a landscape, also
referred to as configuration
structure
The interaction between the composition and the
structure and how these elements work for a given
organisms or ecosystem process
function
Category within a classification scheme
Defined by the user to distinguish between habitats,
ecosystems, or vegetation types within a landscape
cover type
we describe different elements by their
cover types
Elements of Composition, Structure, and
Function that make up Cover Types
Patches Edges and Interiors Edge Effects Corridors Matrix Connectivity Barriers Fragmentation
Surface area that differs from it’s surroundings in nature or appearance
patches
Portion of a patch or corridor where environmental conditions along the
perimeter may differ from the interior of that patch
edge
Portion of a patch where the interior of the patch may differ from the
edges
interior
Relatively narrow strip of a particular cover type that differs from the matrix
areas adjacent to both sides
corridors
Background cover type that is more extensive than patches
matrix
Spatial continuity of a habitat type across the landscape
connectivity
Obstruction to connectivity
barriers
Division of a habitat type into smaller disconnected parcels
fragmentation
Different species composition, diversity, and
abundance are found in the edge; this is
the edge effect
Circular patches and the
interior-edge ratio
will vary with patch size
are those only or primarily located in or near patch perimeters
edge species
those
located only or primarily away from the perimeter.
interior species
Factors affecting edge width:
sun angle and latitude, wind, age of patch, environmental resource variations (soil, substrate, moisture, etc.).
- a measure of the number of major lobes
on a patch
convolution
because of their low interior-to-edge ratio, these
resemble elongated patches more than isodiametric
patches. They should therefore have a relative scarcity
of interior species
rings
a narrow extension or lobe of a patch. “The
funnel effect”, a pattern of gradually decreasing
species diversity from base to tip of peninsula. Caused
by the loss of interior species as the peninsula narrows
or the edge widens
peninsula
Relatively narrow strip of a particular cover type that
differs from the matrix areas adjacent to both sides
corridors
The major roles of corridors in a landscape
the dual and
somewhat opposing roles of dividing and tying together
the landscape.
the straighter the corridor, the shorter the distance, and generally then the faster the movement, between two points on the landscape.
curvilinearity
a measure of how connected or spatially continuous a corridor is. May be quantified simply by the number of breaks per unit length of corridor.
corridor connectivity
a discontinuity in a corridor
break
where the corridor has the form of an isthmus, must have similarities to the “funnel effect” of a peninsular patch.
narrows
a patch of similar environment attached to a corridor
node
narrow bands essentially dominated
throughout by edge species. Examples include paths, roads,
roadsides (verges), railroads, dikes, ditches, power lines,
above-ground pipeline right-of-ways, hedgerows,
herbaceous/shrubby strips, property boundaries, drainage
ditches, irrigation channels.
line corridors
wider bands, with a central interior
environment containing some abundance of interior
species.
strip corridors
- the riparian landscape bordering water
courses, varying in width according to the size of the
stream.
stream corridors
When there is
more complexity within the
network of patches and
corridors, species movement is
enhanced
The effect of a break in a corridor on movement of a
species depends on
the length of the break relative to
the scale of species movement, and the contrast in
environment between the corridor and the break
functions of corridors
habitat, conduit, filters or barriers, source, sink
Corridors act as filters by
altering movement rates by
type of object and over time.
A corridor is a source by functioning as
an area or
reservoir that gives off objects to the surrounding
matrix.
Corridors can absorb objects from the surrounding
matrix functioning as
sinks
Pathways created by animals that they use daily,
seasonally, or during an annual migration.
animal corridors
Spatial continuity of a habitat type or cover across a
landscape
connectivity
The 5 Functions Can Depend on
corridor size and connectivity
longitudinal connectivity
Upstream to downstream and vice versa
lateral connectivity
River and floodplain exchanges, hillslopes and
valley
vertical connectivity
flow depth and different wetted features,
atmospheric exchanges
temporal connectivity
timing of when connectivity occurs
(season), frequency, and duration of connetivity
Obstruction to connectivity, can be environmental or
anthropogenic
barriers
Quality or state of consisting of dissimilar elements, as
with mixed habitats or cover types occurring on a
landscape
heterogeneity
Short-term physical or biological event that
significantly alters an ecosystem
disturbance
capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a
disturbance
resilience
Some disturbances are so profound the
ecosystem may not be resilient to recovery, in which case,
the disturbance causes a threshold change to an
ecosystem where the new ecosystem is much different
that before
threshold
Changes in an ecosystem where one species or
community replaces another
successional changes
Each successive community of species modifies the
environment to
make it more suitable for the
establishment of the next community
Usually succession progresses from
more simple to
more complex ecosystems BUT not always
sequence of succession stages
sere
establishment of one species modifies the
environment to make it suitable for other species to
establish
facilitation
Area of bare rock or soil becomes inhabited by a new
community of species
Disturbance: major volcanic activity
Development of new depositional landforms – river bars
and aeolian dunes environments
Newly exposed landforms – glacial environments
primary succession
Natural community previously existed and was disturbed
but soil is still viable
Disturbance: wildfires, minor volcanic activity,
hurricanes, tornados, floods, landslides, logging
secondary succession
Progressive change over time from aquatic habitat to
terrestrial habitat
Rate will vary based on processes controlling the
transition
Infilling of sediments (in case of lake or wetland) or
climate change to drier conditions and loss of wetted
(hydric) habitat
aquatic to terrestrial succession
Only one climax is recognized for a given community
and that is determined by regional climate
Climatic Climax Theory: Clements 1918
More than one climax community may occur due to
difference in soil moisture, nutrients, topography,
slope, animal activity, and fire
Polyclimax Theory: Tansley 1935
Variety of climaxes due to abiotic and biotic controls
and climax vegetation patterns will change with
changing environmental conditions
Climax Pattern Theory: Whittaker 1953
Changes in an ecosystem conditions can result in
abrupt shifts to another ecosystem type
Certain ‘states’ can be stable for varying periods of
time before a disturbance occurs and a new ‘state’
occurs and becomes the temporary norm
Not easily predictable what will happen from one
state to the next
Function of ecosystem resilience and thresholds
Alternative Stable States: Lewontin 1969
exceptions to climax theory: Early and late seral stages establish at the same
time, difference in growth rates, and response to
increasing competition
tolerance
exceptions to climax theory: Proximity to seed sources and dispersal mechanisms
will control succession, early colonizers will inhibit
other species and dominate, competition, etc.
inhibition
exceptions to climax theory: Random arrival and survival of species after
disturbance, no facilitation or inhibition
random
physical disturbances
Fire, wind, floods, avalanches, landslides,
volcanoes
biological disturbances
pathogens and pests
human disturbances
Logging, dam operations, land cover
changes, prescribed fires
Burns ground cover, leaves the trees standing – may burn lower
branches, but fire does not reach canopy Lower intensity, higher frequency Promote growth of grasslands and suppression of shrubs and tree
seedlings
surface fires
ground to canopy connection, high intensity, lower frequency
canopy fires
plant adaptations to fire
bark thickness, epicormic sprouting, lignotubers, serotinous cones, scarification, thick seed coating
Regrowth of foliage post-fires from dormant buds under bark
epicormic sprouting
Sprouting from buds near root-surface interface
lignotubers
Cones which require fires to release seeds
serotinous cones
Seeds which require heating by fire to be viable
scarification
Strip foliage, breaks branches, uproots trees, snaps
trees midway up trunks, background mortality
wind disturbance
Structures on roots that allow them to obtain oxygen, mangroves,
pneaumatophores
Storage of carbon (in carbohydrate form) to tolerate submergence
and oxygen depletion
rhizomes
Development of root structure very close to the surface, often able
to resprout from these roots if buried by sediment deposits
adventitious roots
Stability in flood conditions unstable “soft” soil conditions, tupelo
broad shallow root structures
Structures that provide stability, Bald cypress trees
knee structures and wide trunk bases
“Disturbance corridors” Provide habitat for early successional and secondary successional plants (disclimax) that differ from the surrounding more mature (climax) matrix.
avalanches
Continental Disturbances Regional-scale patch dynamics, local-scale path and corridor dynamics Oceanic Disturbances Island Biogeography
volcanoes
Economics term for financial assistance given by one person or
government to another person or government
subsidy
flows of biologically fixed energy and nutrients from one ecosystem to another ecosystem
resource subsidies
refers to carbon, nutrient, and biological subsidy resources that come from outside the receiving ecosystem, they are found in a place other than where they were formed or originated
allochthonous
resources are produced and found locally
autochthonous
Direct nutritional resource from allochtonous materials 2. Reducing consumers cost to foraging by augmenting the food
supply
3. Increased habitat diversity and availability of habitat resources
benefit of subsidies
fine grained, small extent
large scale map
coarse grained, large extent
small scale map
a pattern of gradually decreasing species diversity from base to tip of a peninsula
funnel effect
patches in rivers
instream patchs, criffles, runs, pools, variations in flow depth and velocity, islands,
temperature variations in river patches
lower in elevation makes the water warmer, controls different patch habitat types
organisms that create, modify, and maintains habitats by causing physical changes in biotic and abiotic materials directly or indirectly, moderate the availability of resources to other species
ecosystem engineers
why don’t we consider all organisms ecosystem engineers?
restricted to those that act as keystone species, species that have a profound effect on population, community, and ecosystem interactions of their own and other species, may force disturbances on the landscape
for biodiversity to increase, these criteria must be met
patch must have conditions not available anywhere else
a species no where else must live in the patch
the patches must not dominate the landscape
chnage or alter conditions by altering the living or nonliving materials from one state to another, via mechanical or other means
allogenic engineers
change the environment or conditions via their own physical structure, living or dead, where they create habitats for other organisms to live on or in
autogenic engineers
examples of allogenic engineers
beavers, porcupines, badgers, harvest ants
examples of autogenic engineers
canopy trees, lianas, coral, kelp
